Machine



(No Model.)

2 Sheets -Sheet 1.

G. I. FRANCIS. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 448,646. Patented Mar. 24, 1891.

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(No Modl.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. I. FRANCIS. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 448,646. Patented-Mar. 24, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

GRAHAM INGLESBY FRANCIS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGN OR TO THE AMERICAN IVRITING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,646, dated March 24, 1891. Application filed June 28, 1888. Serial No. 278,497. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, GRAHAM INGLESBY FRANCIS, a subject of the Queen of England, and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-IVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to the rib- [O bon movement of type-writing machines, and

has for its object to provide simple and efficient means for feeding the ribbon both 1ongitudinally and transversely; and to this end it consists in the features of construction and combinations of devices hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top View of a portion of a type-writing ma- 2o chine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is arear elevation, and Fig. 4 is a top view to better show the arrangement and relationship of the parts.

In the several views the same part will be 2 5 found designated by the same letter or figure of reference.

a designates the frame-work of the machine; (1, the key-levers, which are shown in dotted lines; I), the spacing-keys at the right and left hand side of the tram e-work. At the rear of the machine and extending transversely near its bottom is a rocker-bar c, from which project inwardly two arms d d, that are con-' nected to a spacing-frame 0, consisting of lon- 5 gitudinally-arranged bars and one transverse bar beneath the key-levers. From each end of the rocker-bar 0 extends upwardly an arm or bar 0', and these bars are connected at their upper extremities by a horizontally-ar- 4o ranged rod 0 The parts 0, c, and 0 form the rocking frame.

f designates the ribbon-spools at opposite sides of the machine.

f f are the ribbon-spool shafts, and g the 5 inking-ribbon running over guide-wires g, fastened to the top plate of the machine. Each ribbon-spool shaft is provided with a crankarm f and with a worm-gear f.

It represents a worm-shaft journaled in suitable bearings h at the right of the ma chine, and i represents a similar shaft rotating in similar bearings at the left of the ma-v chine. The right-hand worm-shaft is provided at its inner end with a ratchet-wheel 7L2, and the left-hand worm-shaft witharatchet-wheel 5 Projecting inwardly from the right-hand side of the rocking frame is a push-pawl j, and from the left-hand side a similar pawl 76, said pawls being adapted to respectively engage with the ratchet-wheels 7L2 2' on the worm-shafts. At the outer ends ofthe wormshaft his connected a bent lifting-rod Z, which extends up over the frame-work of the ma chine and is formed with a transverse slot at its upper extremity, and at the outer end of 6 the worm-shaft i is provided a similar liftingrod, which I have designated by the letter on. Pivoted at n is a lever p, provided at its front end with a handle portion 19. The rear end of said lever is bent up to form a cam 19 which engages with the transverse slot in the upper end of the lifting rod Z. At q is connected one end of a bar or red g, which eX- tends from the lever 19 on the right of the machine to a lever 1' on the left, the fulcrum of said lever being at r. The rear end of the last-mentioned lever is also provided with an oppositely formed or disposed cam 0 wnich engages with the transverse slotted or hookshaped upper end of the lifting-rod m. The connecting-rod q is provided to actuate the lever 9' simultaneously with the lever 19. The levers p and r and the connecting-rod may be designated as the ribbon-switch mechauism. 8 The ribbon-spool f on the ri 'ht is provided with a hub or boss 5, to which is pivoted the lower end of a bent connecting rod or pitman t, the upper end of which is connected by a crank-pin u to a horizontally-arranged ratch- 9o et-wheel n. From the under side of the lever 1) depends a push-pawl or tooth 10, which engages with said ratchetwheel. The ribbonspool 011 the shaft f is also provided with a boss or hub s, to which the lower end of a 5 bent pitman t is connected, the upper end of said pitman being connected to a horizontally-arranged ratchet-wheel o by a crank-pin u thereon, and to the under side of the switchlever r is attached a downwardly-projecting 10o pawl or tooth similar to 10, which engages with the ratchet-wheel c.

At the front edge of the top plate or framework a is secured a plate x, provided with three notches 1 2 3, with which the front end of the switch-lever p engages; but in lieu of said notched plate at three pins or short studs may be provided and the lever 17 slotted out for engagement therewith, as seen at Fig. 1. These notches or pins act as stops or guides for the lever, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Having suiiiciently described the construction of a machine embodying my invention, I shall now proceed to explain the operation thereof.

At each depression of a key-lever b or of either of the spacing-levers b the spacingframe 6 is depressed and the rocking frame vibrated. As the arms 0 of the rocking frame are vibrated forwardly the push-pawls 7' and secured thereto turn the ratchet wheels 7L2 and 2' and partially rotate the worm-shafts h and 2'. In the several figures of the drawings the switch-lever p is represented as having been moved to the extreme right and into engagement with the notch 1. In this position of the lever p the lifting-rod m is elevated and the worm-shaft i journaled at its outer end in said rod, raised from out of engagement with the worm-gear f on the ribbon-spool shaftf and the lifting-rod Z is depressed and the worm-shaft 71' lowered into engagement with the worm-gearfi on the ribbon-spool shaft f, and at each vibration of the rocking frame the ribbon-spool shaft f will be turned and the ribbonspool f splined thereon will be turned and the ribbon 9 fed toward the right of the machine a distance of one tooth on the ratchet-wheel h \Vhcn the ribbon shall have thus step by step been unwound from the spool f on the left onto the spool on the right, the levcrp may be vibrated to have its outer end occupy the notch 23 on the plate a. During the movement of the leverp from notchl to notch 3 the connectingbar (1' vibrates the lever r in unison and to the same extent, and the cam end of the lever 0' will depress the lifting-rod m and wormshaft '2; into engagement with the worm-gear f on the ribbon-spool shaft f and at the same time the cam end of the lever will elevate the lifting-rod Z and throw the wormshal't 71. out of engagement with the wormgear f' on the spool-shaft f. When the parts have been made to assume this relationship, the ribbon will be wound from the spool on the right to the spool on the left with a step by-step movement at each vibration of the rocking frame, the pawl 7r thereon turning the worm-shaft i and the latterturning the spoolshaft and spool splined thereon. If it be desired to wind the ribbon quickly from one spool to another, or if it be desired to remove an old or insert a new ribbon, the lever 17 may be moved into the second notch on the plate cc, and this will effect a disengagement of the ribbon-feeding devices and the rib bon-switching mechanism. IVhen the lever shall have been moved into the second notch, either crank-arm f on the ribbonspool shafts may be turned as quickly as desired and the ribbon wound from one spool to another, or the ribbon may be conveniently removed and another one inserted in its place. At each vibration of the outer ends of the switch-levers p and 1' toward the left the pawls or teeth 20, depending from the rear ends of said levers, engage with the horizontally-arranged ratchet-wheels "U and v and turn them around the distance of one notch or tooth and move the crank-pins a and a a similar distance. The pitment and 15', connected to said crank-pins and to the ribbonspools, operate to draw said spools longitudinally of their shafts, and hence to move the ribbon laterally with reference to the printingpoint of the machine. IVhen the crank-pins have been turned to the front or over the axes of the ribbon-spool shafts, the ribbonspools occupy positions nearer the front ends of said shafts and the rear portion of the ribbon is located over the printing-point. As the crank-pins are turned round, the ribbonspools are gradually drawn rearwardly until the crank-pins arrive at the rear of the machine and over the axes of the ribbon-spool shafts again, when the continued rotation of the ratchet-wheels through the medium of the pitmen forces or pushes the ribbon-spools toward the front of the machine.

In the machine which I have constructed I have so made the devices for moving the rib bon laterally that when the lovers have been moved to the right "eight times the ribbonspools will have traveled their full distance rearwardly, and on the next movement of the levers will commence to travel forwardly. The horizontal ratchet-wheels, the crankpins, and the pitmen are so connected or arranged that the ribbon-spools will be moved along their shafts exactly the same distance, so that the ribbon will always travel at right angles to the printing-point or parallel with the connecting-rod g.

It will be seen that the whole width of the ribbon may be utilized in the operation of the machine by shifting it laterally or transversely, and thus the life of it is greatly prolonged.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a type-writing machine, the combination of the ribbon-spool, the ribbon-spool shaft provided with a worm-gear, the worm-shaft, means for turning the same, the lifting-rod, a switch for raising the same, a pitman, a ratchet-wheel, a crank or wrist pin, and a drivingpawl connected to the switch, whereby the said switch is adapted to raise the wormshaft and simultaneously turn the ratchet wheel and move the ribbon-spool, substantially as set forth.

2. In a type-writing machine, the combination of the ribbon-spool shaft provided with a worm-gear, the worm-shaft, the lifting-rod, and means, substantially as described, for

raising said rod and disengaging the wormshaft.

3. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of the ribbon-spool shaft provided with a Worm-gear, the worm-shaft provided with a ratchet-whee1, the lifting-rod, the switch provided with a cam, and the rocking arm provided with apnsh-pawl.

4. In a type-Writing machine, the con1bination of the ribbon-spool shafts provided with worm-gears, the Worm-shafts,the lifting-rods, the switch-levers provided with oppositelydisposed cams, and the connecting-rod between said levers.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination of the ribbon-spool shafts provided with worm-gears, the worm-shafts provided with ratchet -whee1s, the lifting-rods, the switchlevers provided with oppositely disposed cams, the connecting-rod between said levers, and the rocking arms provided with pushpawis.

0. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a ribbon-spool shaft, a ribbon-spool adapted to slide endwise thereof, a pitman connected at one end to said ribbon-spool, a horizontally-arranged ratchet-wheel, a crank or wrist pin connected thereto and engaging with said pitinan, a horizontally-arranged hand-1ever, and a driving-paw1 thereon foreng'aging with said ratchet-wheel, whereby the ribbon-spool may be moved back and forth, substantially as described.

7. In a type-writing" machine, the combination of the ribbon-spools, the ribbon-spool shafts, the pitnlen, the ratchet-wheels, the crank or wrist pins, the connected switchlevers, and the push-pawis.

Signed at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, this 18th day of June, A. D. 1888. I

GRAHAM INGLESBY FRANCIS.

- Witnesses:

GEO. A. REYNOLDS, PHILnTUs G. LATHROP. 

